Posts Tagged ‘Iranian peoples’

“From little acorns big oaks grow” is a traditional saying and I am hoping that my series of musings about my travels in Iran which are now being published in our little village magazine will go some way to illustrating an Iran much removed from the politics and sanctions dominating the news, instead focussing on the “real” Iran and its wonderful people.

I never fail to be amazed by comments I receive about my writing however mundane I feel it is. It is important to describe and explain how people live in Iran even if my observations are based on a small rural/urban population around Esfahan. I cannot and will not pretend that my experiences of traveling in Iran are representative of the population. They cannot possibly be so with a country the size of Iran but I hope that I can give comfort to readers that Iranian people are just like us. They have families, jobs, go on holiday, eat and drink, enjoy themselves. They are not all extreme political or religious animals. They are normal. Just like us.

Let’s hope that by writing about my experiences, more people will begin to understand and appreciate the Iran not publicised by the western media.

Married to an Iranian it took me a while but in October 2010 I finally organised and prepared myself to visit this fascinating country. I had very mixed feelings about the visit but I was determined to go with no negative pre-conceptions about the ordinary Iranian people. Those I have met in Europe are wonderfully friendly, compassionate, fun-loving, respectful, hard-working and have all, without exception, welcomed me into their fold. I purposefully went with an open mind and all good intentions to embrace and respect their culture, just as I expect others to do here in the UK. In short, I was prepared for a really unusual adventure and amazing cultural experience.

I was not to be disappointed.

As a long-term depression sufferer however I was also aware that two weeks in a foreign country, immersed in a vastly different culture, with reduced at-your-finger-tip communication with my support network and the obvious language barrier combined with being out of my routine would put huge pressure on my ability to cope and may spiral me into a depression. That was the last thing I wanted but was it a genuine concern? There was only one way to find out.

I knew that I didn’t just want to be a visitor. I wanted to be accepted as an honorary “Iranian” Was this too much to ask or expect? I wasn’t sure but I found out for myself. Armed with my new Iranian passport and a basic knowledge of Farsi, the Persian language I was confident that I would survive the two weeks. The following posts will give you a flavour of what I have encountered during my visits so far which has been more positive, inviting and welcoming than the general media portray.

Pimsleur-Conversational Farsi– 30 CDs providing basic conversational Farsi. A very useful comprehensive introduction to the Persian language and enough to get you by.

Like this:

Welcome to my new Blog “Persian Posts” where I hope you will find lots of interesting anecdotes and information about Iran the country and its people as seen through my eyes and not normally available from todays media.

I have used “Persia” rather than “Iran” as I prefer it as a name. There is something more mystical and magical about the name “Persia” which “Iran” just doesn’t conjure up. It is not a political decision or statement in any way and I make no apologies for my preference.

I don’t pretend that everything I see, experience, photograph or write about is representative of the majority of Iran or Iranian people, but it is what I come across during my travels and I tell it as I see it. I am lucky in that I am married to an Iranian and we have a house in Sede, a town near the beautiful city of Isfahan (Esfahan). I have a large extended family in Iran and therefore unlike most travellers passing through the country I have first-hand experience of engagements, weddings, engagements, births, family meals and weekly get-togethers, outings and the daily routine of the working folk which is so very different from ours.

I love the history, the people, the food (with a few exceptions) the buildings, the scenery, even the weather and all this combines to provide me with so much to write about that I have decided to open up a new Blog dedicated wholly to my visits to Iran and to share it with you.

Please feel free to comment on my posts and send me your feedback. It is always interesting to receive your opinions and thoughts and if you have any questions regarding my posts or the Iran that I have written about, please ask. If I can’t help, I know a man who can!